Project Mojave Blog - Latest Comments in When Crazy Isn’t Crazy Anymore: Life Balance and Insanity

Re: When Crazy Isn’t Crazy Anymore: Life Balance and Insanity

Pedro — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 12:43:29 -0000

Clay ,
I translated an article of your blog in my brazilian blog . Go see
http://wwwoqueeisso.blogspo...

Congratulations on your blog
Pedro

Re: When Crazy Isn’t Crazy Anymore: Life Balance and Insanity

Lisa Newton — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 00:25:43 -0000

In your introduction to this post, you used the term "nutritionist." I would take it a step further and use the term "dietitian," a well-respected and highly educated field.

In regards to nutrition balance over the course of a week, you hit the nail on the head. When I worked for a major cities public school system's food program, we used to analysis the Federal Breakfast and Lunch program based on a week's results, not on the daily results.

Based on the rest of your post, I would definitely fit in the insane catagory for my balanced life. In fact, right now, it doesn't have much balance. That's why I like to look at balance from a long term aspect, yearly if necessary.

Thanks for increasing my awareness of life's balance, and causing me to think about my insanity................:)

Re: When Crazy Isn’t Crazy Anymore: Life Balance and Insanity

Liara Covert — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 19:34:47 -0000

Balance begins and ends as a state of mind.

Re: When Crazy Isn’t Crazy Anymore: Life Balance and Insanity

Kenneth King | Destiny Buildin — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 13:09:08 -0000

Excellent post - definitely my favorite of yours so far. Where ever did we get the idea that life balance had to occur within such tight time frames as days or even weeks? Out of a sense of conformity I suppose. But after reading your post, it's easy to see that the notion of living life as it seems fitting to yourself is so much more liberating than trying to conform to any sense of what might be perceived as "normal" from the outside.

Thanks for the insight Clay!

Re: When Crazy Isn’t Crazy Anymore: Life Balance and Insanity

Albert @ Headspace (http://tho — Fri, 30 May 2008 23:40:02 -0000

You make some very good points. Especially on the larger cycles of balance. And the link between being obsessed with productivity and hating your job. I find that loving my job AND loving other aspects of my life (exercise, family etc) allows me to achieve the craziest of balancing acts. As St Augustine once said: "Love and do what you will".

Thanks for the deep, thoughtful writing Clay. Keep it coming.

Albert@Headspace

Re: When Crazy Isn’t Crazy Anymore: Life Balance and Insanity

pam munro — Thu, 29 May 2008 19:10:51 -0000

Here's a second for attuning yourself to YOUR OWN rhythms, as opposed to being led around by the nose on the general rhythms of society. It will make you much less frustrated and much more productive. It also may be a bit harder to pull off - but I believe that it's worth it in the long run - if just be being easier on your immune system - which we have to count on for health more and more these days!

Re: When Crazy Isn’t Crazy Anymore: Life Balance and Insanity

Loraleigh Vance — Thu, 29 May 2008 02:13:42 -0000

Interesting, I've been thinking about balance as well lately. Must be the season for it.

I like what you said tho' about how a well-balance life feels too rigid. For me conformity feels like insanity and non conformity feels normal. Or, something like that.

When I start something new, I'm always obsessive about it. Or is it more PC to say driven? Regardless, I will work on it till my vision's blurry and my neck won't move. That's just me and it's the way I've always been. It usually balances out sometime.

The point is I get the best out of me by just going with the flow. Even if it's not the way others do it. You've got to grab the passion when it arises. That's my balance.

Re: When Crazy Isn’t Crazy Anymore: Life Balance and Insanity

J.D. Meier — Wed, 28 May 2008 04:37:44 -0000

Nice fine point on a sticky idea - a seasonal approach to living.

I'm a fan of immersion and the seasons of change. Life's not static.

I used to think more about permanence and holding on, but now it's more about rolling w/the punches and riding the waves.
When things suck I like to think like the seaons and "this too shall pass."
When things are great, I hold on for the ride and I give her all she's got.

One of my friends framed life something like -- be a boy, be a warrior, be a king, be a sage.

Now that I have a lens for business cycles (from The First 90 Days), I see their seasons too - start-up, turnaround, realignment and sustaining-success.

Re: When Crazy Isn’t Crazy Anymore: Life Balance and Insanity

Jenny — Tue, 27 May 2008 20:39:25 -0000

That was a very insightful post, and the comments that followed got me to thinking. I need to listen to my intuition more often, actually I need to find where my intuition has been hiding! I think it has been on vacation for a while, I need to entice it back!

While I may be unbalanced most of the time, it's probably what makes me balanced! Thank you for making me realize it!

Re: When Crazy Isn’t Crazy Anymore: Life Balance and Insanity

Duff McDuffee — Tue, 27 May 2008 17:14:33 -0000

I realized once that when I think of balance, I generally picture a scale with equal sized weights on either side. But just as common is a complex moving mobile like this one:

http://farm1.static.flickr....

Those who live simple, static lives tend to think of balance in more simple images and metaphors.

Re: When Crazy Isn’t Crazy Anymore: Life Balance and Insanity

Brick Andrews — Tue, 27 May 2008 16:50:48 -0000

Some theologians consider that passage from Ecclesiastes to have been a cynical commentary on life. Maybe a "balanced" life is a boring life.

Re: When Crazy Isn’t Crazy Anymore: Life Balance and Insanity

Chris — Tue, 27 May 2008 16:12:10 -0000

This post actually gives hope to people who work a lot and spend the time with the family during the weekend. I tend to do this and I'm glad that I'm actually somewhat doing this parenting, husbanding, and working thing the proper way.

So what you're saying is balance is finding balance in an imbalance life? Or is it what realy matters is the end result and not the day to day grind?

Re: When Crazy Isn’t Crazy Anymore: Life Balance and Insanity

P.G. Smith — Tue, 27 May 2008 15:14:26 -0000

I love this post. I've always wondered why I am go-go-go during the summer and want to sleep all winter. I've lived with 'well-balanced' people all my life. No wonder I felt I was going insane! Now I just have to figure out how to find my 'seasons' again.

Re: When Crazy Isn’t Crazy Anymore: Life Balance and Insanity

Robert A. Henru — Tue, 27 May 2008 05:20:04 -0000

Hi Clay, this is very interesting article on balance.
People who knows us only in one season will often judge us not as the right person of who we are. That is really encouraging!
Great article!
Robert

Re: When Crazy Isn’t Crazy Anymore: Life Balance and Insanity

Gamy Rachel — Tue, 27 May 2008 01:33:53 -0000

Hello Clay,

Lovely blog you have.

Love this post about life balance and living the seasons of our lives.

I agree that, when living a particular season of our lives, there is no need to answer anyone, but just enjoy the journey and live it, cos this is the season.

I have gone through many such seasons.. and this one I am going through is the best :)

Thanks for the include at Mixx.

Come on over to my blog and visit me when you have some time:)

Blessings,

Gamy
http://www.mindthinksuccess...

Re: When Crazy Isn’t Crazy Anymore: Life Balance and Insanity

Marelisa — Tue, 27 May 2008 00:15:37 -0000

When I lived in Italy I knew people who would find temporary work for a couple of months, make some money, and then take a few months and roam around or do whatever they wanted (they work to live rather than live to work). The pilots of the Panama Canal can opt for a plan of working 5 weeks (it's long hours and you can be called to work at any time, whether it be 2:00 p.m. or 2:00 a.m.) and then they get 3 weeks off. During their time off they tend their own small business or travel. So I agree with you that balance can, does, and should have a different meaning for everyone.

Re: When Crazy Isn’t Crazy Anymore: Life Balance and Insanity

Kaila — Mon, 26 May 2008 22:42:13 -0000

Well said!

I've thought along similar ways for a while now. And I remember mentally comparing what you call seasons of life to my body's cravings for food. I'm glad you're able to explain it so much better than me!

Anyway, it's definitely difficult to justify life seasons to other people who are so caught up in societal expectations. I finished my bachelors degree in December... and ever since I've been having to explain over and over and over, "I'm not at a place where I really feel compelled to be job-hunting right now." And nobody understands what I'm saying.

But I guess that's not important. Thanks for another awesome post!

Re: When Crazy Isn’t Crazy Anymore: Life Balance and Insanity

Tom Stine | Living from Consci — Mon, 26 May 2008 19:11:33 -0000

Hey Clay, well done. It seems to me that no matter how much we pretend otherwise

(1) We are not in control of our lives.
(2) Life will always have the final say.

I've noticed that the people who have their lives the most sorted out, zipped-up tight, and BALANCED are the ones that seem to eventually get the stuffing kick-out of them by life. Everything is in perfect working order then BAM, the apple cart is turned over. Health, financial problems, you name, these things can interrupt the best laid plans.

You've got it right. Balance can be achieved in so many unbalanced ways. We flow with Life, we move with it. We dance to its tune and love its wisdom and rhythm. Much better.

Re: When Crazy Isn’t Crazy Anymore: Life Balance and Insanity

Charlie Gilkey | Productive Fl — Mon, 26 May 2008 16:30:12 -0000

Damn, Clay, you stole the quoted verse from under me. I had it planned for Friday! :p

I think you're dead on about seasons, and that's where the standard lifestyle of Americans go wrong. Seriously, where in 50 workweeks are you supposed to transition into a different season? Pre-industrial societies had it a bit easier on this front: without the artificial environments in which we now leave, the natural seasons made them live through different seasons. Whereas you can't grow wheat in December, you can enter data anywhere and anytime there's light and somewhat working air conditioning.

As always, great job.

Re: When Crazy Isn’t Crazy Anymore: Life Balance and Insanity

Daniel Richard | Winning Every — Mon, 26 May 2008 14:19:38 -0000

Liked the way you reply to comments by adding a response right at the comments we left behind. You gave a personal touch to it. :)

I'm in a 2 year season thats gonna end at this December, and living on a 12 hr day shifts with another 2 days off for every tour of 2 work shifts done.

Balance to me for this period would be to get to meet up with friends, for a meal, chat, games (just came back from a late dinner with a couple of my friends too! one of whom we met up by coincidence too!) and then coming back home to rest, read up on blogs that I follow, while writing on the simple stuffs in life in the WE blog that I'm running.

20 hrs, 24 hrs, or even 28 hrs days are almost normal to me now. And this kind of schedule has been integrated into a balance life for me this season.

Haha. I can't wait to jump into the next season that starts right at the end of this year. Should be fun. :D

Glad that you mentioned this entry in your blog. Do write on more dude!

Re: When Crazy Isn’t Crazy Anymore: Life Balance and Insanity

Vered — Mon, 26 May 2008 13:29:50 -0000

I used to live in seasons - crazy work schedule, highly stressful court appearances, living on very little sleep and lots of caffeine, and then taking an unstructured long break and traveling for a couple of months. So I completely agree with your ideas.

However, once my kids were born, I did feel that I needed to try and balance things out on a daily basis.

Re: When Crazy Isn’t Crazy Anymore: Life Balance and Insanity

Mac — Mon, 26 May 2008 12:24:00 -0000

You're so right. And the quote is very appropriate. Nice post :)

Re: When Crazy Isn’t Crazy Anymore: Life Balance and Insanity

Andre Kibbe — Mon, 26 May 2008 11:24:05 -0000

The tricky part is knowing when a full-on effort, like 18-hour workdays, is a season with some closure to it. As Mark indicated, it's hard to embark a business and know when to let go, since there's always room for growth. At least for entrepreneurs, there are books the The E-Myth and The 4-Hour Workweek that outline timelines for progressively offloading work. It would be interesting to see the same concept applied to binge vacationers, starving artists, and other tracks that risk going more than temporarily off balance.

Re: When Crazy Isn’t Crazy Anymore: Life Balance and Insanity

Mark Dyck — Mon, 26 May 2008 10:55:12 -0000

Great insight! I've long felt at odds with the corporate world because there is no seasonality. Days, months, years click over with tomorrow being just like yesterday.

I'm hesitating with some new business ventures and I suspect it's because of my own seasonality. How to design a business that can vary with my rhythms? Now there's a challenge.

Re: When Crazy Isn’t Crazy Anymore: Life Balance and Insanity

SpaceAgeSage — Mon, 26 May 2008 10:27:11 -0000

I like the way you think! I spent five years being an overly driven leader in a hard-core martial arts school, and now I have the quiet, low-profile life of a writer and care taker for my mom. Your post help kick out any residual insecurities I had about the transition I made. Very helpful, thanks!
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Response
I love this comment. What an interesting transition. Thanks for sharing that.